To quote Cher Horowitz: "As If!"
Last week, the very day that I broke it off with the guy whose heart is as big as my mouth, I actually picked up a guy in a bar - albeit not intentionally. I suppose that this is how normal people (not those jaded by online dating) actually meet in the real world.
Since Newton is officially the traffic DMZ between Canton and Waltham, Nay and I ventured over the Union Street to spend a relaxing evening chasing burgers with beers. The waitress sat us next to a table of two guys, we got to talking, and five hours later we all ended up swapping business cards.
Union Street Guy asked me out this week and I accepted. Sadly enough, it's been years since I've gone a date that wasn't arranged in cyberspace. When USG asked me out earlier this week, I was actually kind of nervous about meeting him again. Blind dates are easy, mostly because you don't know the person and therefore there are no expectations. Going out with someone that you met at a bar is downright nerve-wracking in comparison.
The date went pretty well until the end of the night when he asked me if I'd like to spend the night. As if??? I may be single, but I've only been out of the dating game for a week and I don't recall this ever coming up after the first date. I politely rejected him. He informed me that technically this was our second date, since we had already met before. Since we're both sales reps, I told him that he should work on his pitch, improve his closing skills, and try me again at a later time.
I think I am going to give Union Street Guy another shot, especially since meeting up with other home based sales reps and talking shop is completely thrilling. USG and I have been blackberrying all day and it looks like we'll be going out again some point next week. More to follow...
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Restaurant Review #1
Some of you may know that I'm a closet foodie. As a public service, I bring to you Restaurant Review #1 of my life here on Blogger.
Restaurant: Vinny T's of Boston (formerly known as Vinny Testa's)
Address: 7 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA
Website: www.vinnytsofboston.com
Rating: B
Vinny T's of Boston is a local restaurant chain with locations in Shrewsbury, Dedham, Brookline, Back Bay, Seekonk, Lexington, and Danvers. Last night I visited the Shrewsbury location because as anyone in central Mass can attest to, all of the best ethnic restaurants in central Mass are nestled in between route 9 strip malls. I've also dined at their Dedham, Seekonk, and Brookline eateries.
Vinny T's offers a basic red sauce assortment of favorites, including chicken parm, veal marsala, and ravioli. While Vinny T's wins no awards for originality, their food is remarkably consistent and not priced out of the stratosphere. Because Vinny T's believes that the secret to customer happiness involves giving them each a pound and a half of pasta in addition to their entree, it is not unreasonable for two people to split a meal, thus making Vinny T's an even better bargain.
As a former waitress I often scrutinize the service I receive when I dine. My waitress at Vinny T's passed all of my tests with flying colors: my water glass was promptly refilled, all four entress were brought out at once, and my left overs were boxed up in under 5 minutes.
Even though I had an overall very positive experience at Vinny T's, they got gigged on my grading system a bit because of the lack of originality in the menu. They are also a bit weak on seafood, which for a New England based chain is not acceptable. Vinny T's was recently acquired by the Bertucci's corporation, so I have to imagine a menu revamp is forthcoming.
Restaurant: Vinny T's of Boston (formerly known as Vinny Testa's)
Address: 7 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA
Website: www.vinnytsofboston.com
Rating: B
Vinny T's of Boston is a local restaurant chain with locations in Shrewsbury, Dedham, Brookline, Back Bay, Seekonk, Lexington, and Danvers. Last night I visited the Shrewsbury location because as anyone in central Mass can attest to, all of the best ethnic restaurants in central Mass are nestled in between route 9 strip malls. I've also dined at their Dedham, Seekonk, and Brookline eateries.
Vinny T's offers a basic red sauce assortment of favorites, including chicken parm, veal marsala, and ravioli. While Vinny T's wins no awards for originality, their food is remarkably consistent and not priced out of the stratosphere. Because Vinny T's believes that the secret to customer happiness involves giving them each a pound and a half of pasta in addition to their entree, it is not unreasonable for two people to split a meal, thus making Vinny T's an even better bargain.
As a former waitress I often scrutinize the service I receive when I dine. My waitress at Vinny T's passed all of my tests with flying colors: my water glass was promptly refilled, all four entress were brought out at once, and my left overs were boxed up in under 5 minutes.
Even though I had an overall very positive experience at Vinny T's, they got gigged on my grading system a bit because of the lack of originality in the menu. They are also a bit weak on seafood, which for a New England based chain is not acceptable. Vinny T's was recently acquired by the Bertucci's corporation, so I have to imagine a menu revamp is forthcoming.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Do you want a medal, or a chest to pin it on?
The new Congressional Medal of Honor Library recently opened in Charlston, SC. The Congressional Medal of Honor was created by President Lincoln during the height of the Civil War in 1863. Since its inception, 3,460 men and women have been awarded the medal for gallant acts of bravey both in person and posthumously.
Every day, though especially on Memorial Day, we pay tribute to the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. At this very moment, over 150,000 US troops are on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Kosovo, and the Phillipines. Most soldiers will downplay the significance of their bravey by claiming that they are "just doing their job". While we may be fighting an extremely unpopular war, I have to wonder why only 2 servicemen, less than one ten-thousandth of a percent of the troops on active duty, have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroism in the fight against terrorism.
To put it in perspective, during the Haiti Campaign of 1919-1920, 6 servicemen were awarded the Medal. 59 were awarded the Medal during the Boxer Rebellion, and 245 were awarded the Medal for their gallentry in Vietnam. While I have absolutely no doubt that each of the 3,460 recipients deserved this highest honor, surely there are folks in uniform at this moment who are just as worthy.
It's not unusual for servicemen to wait decades to be recognized. The Asian-American soliders of the 36th Infantry Division weren't given the Medal of Honor for their efforts during the Second World War until July 2000. However, waiting over 5 decades to honor someone should be the exception, not the rule.
Awarding the Medal of Honor to exceptional soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen won't make us any more popular in Iraq nor will it bring our troops home any sooner. However, we ask our soldiers to do the impossible under difficult conditions for meger pay and sub-par healthcare. Recognition is an extremely motivating factor, both for the soldiers and for the American public. If the Bush administration is going to continue to ignore popular opinion to fight this war, then the least he can do is honor those who fight it.
Every day, though especially on Memorial Day, we pay tribute to the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. At this very moment, over 150,000 US troops are on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Kosovo, and the Phillipines. Most soldiers will downplay the significance of their bravey by claiming that they are "just doing their job". While we may be fighting an extremely unpopular war, I have to wonder why only 2 servicemen, less than one ten-thousandth of a percent of the troops on active duty, have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroism in the fight against terrorism.
To put it in perspective, during the Haiti Campaign of 1919-1920, 6 servicemen were awarded the Medal. 59 were awarded the Medal during the Boxer Rebellion, and 245 were awarded the Medal for their gallentry in Vietnam. While I have absolutely no doubt that each of the 3,460 recipients deserved this highest honor, surely there are folks in uniform at this moment who are just as worthy.
It's not unusual for servicemen to wait decades to be recognized. The Asian-American soliders of the 36th Infantry Division weren't given the Medal of Honor for their efforts during the Second World War until July 2000. However, waiting over 5 decades to honor someone should be the exception, not the rule.
Awarding the Medal of Honor to exceptional soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen won't make us any more popular in Iraq nor will it bring our troops home any sooner. However, we ask our soldiers to do the impossible under difficult conditions for meger pay and sub-par healthcare. Recognition is an extremely motivating factor, both for the soldiers and for the American public. If the Bush administration is going to continue to ignore popular opinion to fight this war, then the least he can do is honor those who fight it.
Friday, May 25, 2007
It's 5 o'clock somewhere....
It's an American right of passage to complain about the price of gasoline every Memorial Day, as if your complaint is going to be the one that brings back sub $1 gallon prices. Gas is obviously more expensive this year than it was last, but not by much. Then again, we are at "historic demand" and there is a "historic low reserve" to draw from. Ever notice that we're always at historic levels whenever economists try to explain why gas is so expensive? How about this one: the average grunt working at the refinery makes over $100,000. We haven't built a refinery in this country in over 30 years. We have a supply and demand model that forces the price of oil to spike every time Iran wants to get uppity, Chavez wants to throw his weight around, or one of those 100k a year oil guys gets a cold.
While we're complaining about gas hitting almost 3 and a quarter a gallon, apparently it's chaos over in Iran. The Ayatollah raised the price this week of a gallon of gas from 30c to 38c. I can't wait to see how they're going to manage to pin the price increase on the Israelis (where by the way, they're paying almost $5 a gallon).
Even though I'm not exactly thrilled about ponying up $43 for a tank of gas this afternoon, it's my own fault. Afterall, I CHOSE to buy a vehicle that requires high octane gasoline (an extra $3.64 a tank over regular). I also chose to drive into Boston last night, when I could've walked to the commuter rail. Life is full of choices, and some of those choices end up costing us a couple of bucks.
I don't care if you impeach Bush, pull out of Iraq, and skewer the CEO of Exxon/Mobil in front of a jeering crowd - the price of gas still isn't going to get much lower. However, if the price of gas continues to go up, I may have to make some tough financial decisions, such as switching from Glenfiddich to Dewars. Hopefully we'll have switched to E-85 before I am forced to make such a life altering decision!
While we're complaining about gas hitting almost 3 and a quarter a gallon, apparently it's chaos over in Iran. The Ayatollah raised the price this week of a gallon of gas from 30c to 38c. I can't wait to see how they're going to manage to pin the price increase on the Israelis (where by the way, they're paying almost $5 a gallon).
Even though I'm not exactly thrilled about ponying up $43 for a tank of gas this afternoon, it's my own fault. Afterall, I CHOSE to buy a vehicle that requires high octane gasoline (an extra $3.64 a tank over regular). I also chose to drive into Boston last night, when I could've walked to the commuter rail. Life is full of choices, and some of those choices end up costing us a couple of bucks.
I don't care if you impeach Bush, pull out of Iraq, and skewer the CEO of Exxon/Mobil in front of a jeering crowd - the price of gas still isn't going to get much lower. However, if the price of gas continues to go up, I may have to make some tough financial decisions, such as switching from Glenfiddich to Dewars. Hopefully we'll have switched to E-85 before I am forced to make such a life altering decision!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Gracias for being a neighbor
I recently read an article on how the proposed border fence between Texas and Mexico would cause irrevocable harm to wildlife as we know it in the southeastern US. While some might argue that good fences make good neighbors, I think that fencing out a neighbor, ally, and huge trading partner could be a very bad idea. While we're at it, why don't we just dig a moat around the entire border and guard it with fire breathing dragons? That shouldn't motivate one of the only countries in central America that kind of tolerates us to align itself with Venezuela.
In spite of the fact that the wall isn't a good idea, the liberals must be pretty desperate if they're trying to use the environment as an excuse to defend their anti-wall rhetoric. If the majority of Joe six-pack America doesn't even believe that people who work hard have a right to live in this country, then I doubt that they're going to lose sleep over the fact that building a wall will displace tortoises. Why is that liberals always take a solid argument (eg: building a wall is part of a redneck agenda) and ruin it by using an issue that nobody cares about (eg: rampant bobcat homelessness) to defend their position? Seriously, somebody please explain it to me - I'm all ears.
In spite of the fact that the wall isn't a good idea, the liberals must be pretty desperate if they're trying to use the environment as an excuse to defend their anti-wall rhetoric. If the majority of Joe six-pack America doesn't even believe that people who work hard have a right to live in this country, then I doubt that they're going to lose sleep over the fact that building a wall will displace tortoises. Why is that liberals always take a solid argument (eg: building a wall is part of a redneck agenda) and ruin it by using an issue that nobody cares about (eg: rampant bobcat homelessness) to defend their position? Seriously, somebody please explain it to me - I'm all ears.
Monday, May 21, 2007
I never heard of a cicada, either
Ok, I'm not much of a nature lover to begin with, but this is just wicked gross: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18780937/
Thank goodness I live in New England, where we don't have natural phenomenons of Biblical proportions. If you've ever read the book of Exodus, these cicadas have a smacking resemblance to the locust plagues of ancient Egypt. Give me a nor'easter any day....
Thank goodness I live in New England, where we don't have natural phenomenons of Biblical proportions. If you've ever read the book of Exodus, these cicadas have a smacking resemblance to the locust plagues of ancient Egypt. Give me a nor'easter any day....
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Mommy dearest
I am getting to the point in my life when my friends either have children, are preganant, or constantly talk about starting their own families. I spent the weekend with my friend and her infant son. This evening I had dinner with another friend that is 7 months pregnant. After almost a straight week of listening to stories about placentas, breast feeding, and actually seeing what a pregnant belly button looks like, I had a huge urge to immediately down an entire packet of birth control pills.
I am obviously not even remotely ready to think about having children just yet. However, I am determined not to lose touch with friends who have already joined the ranks of mommy-hood. There is defnitely a social line that seperates mommies and the childless singletons. Since I don't know a whole lot about motherhood, I am naturally curious to find out everything I can in case plans B, C, and D fail and I actually have to go through it all someday. This does not mean that I want unsolicited advice on how often you have to pee when your pregnant or how many cup sizes you gained during your second trimester. Perhaps certain life mysteries are better experienced first hand.
For the record, I do like kids, especially those reproduced from my dear friends. R left me alone with her son for a few minutes this weekend and I almost got kind of attached - almost. Then she mentioned something about having to blow his nose with a can of air and I just about lost my poutine. In the meantime I'm completely ok with being the cool aunt. In fact, if your child is toilet trained and enjoys watching Fox News then I can't wait to babysit for them.
I am obviously not even remotely ready to think about having children just yet. However, I am determined not to lose touch with friends who have already joined the ranks of mommy-hood. There is defnitely a social line that seperates mommies and the childless singletons. Since I don't know a whole lot about motherhood, I am naturally curious to find out everything I can in case plans B, C, and D fail and I actually have to go through it all someday. This does not mean that I want unsolicited advice on how often you have to pee when your pregnant or how many cup sizes you gained during your second trimester. Perhaps certain life mysteries are better experienced first hand.
For the record, I do like kids, especially those reproduced from my dear friends. R left me alone with her son for a few minutes this weekend and I almost got kind of attached - almost. Then she mentioned something about having to blow his nose with a can of air and I just about lost my poutine. In the meantime I'm completely ok with being the cool aunt. In fact, if your child is toilet trained and enjoys watching Fox News then I can't wait to babysit for them.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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